They spent the next couple of days like usual... like nothing had ever happened. Lindsey didn't mention carrying his wife back to bed that night, Crew tried to pretend like he hadn't seen a thing and Stevie didn't remember any of it, which both guys were sort of thankful for.
It probably wasn't the best way to handle that situation, but it was definitely the easiest.
Not having to explain it saved everyone an awkward conversation.
"Do you want a cup of coffee, honey?" Stevie was standing in the kitchen, still in her pajamas with her long hair twisted into a messy bun.
It was early, only a little after eight and the house was quiet- everyone had taken off for the day. The kids were at school, Carrie was grocery shopping and Lindsey was... Lindsey was wherever Lindsey went during the day to get away from his wife.
Nodding her head, Lori casually slid onto a barstool. "I'm surprised you're up this early." She wasn't being mean- she was being honest.
"Lindsey couldn't find his jacket this morning, so he had the whole house awake." She rolled her eyes lightly as she poured hot coffee into a couple of mugs. "And after everyone was out the door, I just couldn't go back to sleep." She shrugged a shoulder lightly.
Taking the cup in two hands, Lori cradled it close to her lips. "Did you get the chance to talk to him?" She didn't want to sound nosey, not in the slightest, but she cared... She cared a lot.
With a heavy sigh, Stevie's shoulders sank. "I tried." She stated as she shook her head softly. "I really tried, but it doesn't work. We don't know how to talk to one another anymore." She didn't want to admit that aloud, but it was the truth.
"You didn't argue, did you?" She wondered, eyes growing incredibly soft and sympathetic.
Shaking her head, Stevie took a sip of her coffee before she replied. "We didn't fight, no." She assured. "He just got up and left the room." Her brown eyes fell to the counter as she sank into the edge a little more, using it as leverage to keep herself up.
Biting down on her lower lip, the red head shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Have you ever thought..." she lingered for a moment, trying to find the right words before she continued. "Have you ever thought that maybe Lindsey is confining in someone else?" Lori was not, in any way trying to accuse him of anything, but she did think it was a little odd.
He never wanted to talk- he hadn't wanted to talk about any of it in almost three whole years... It just seemed like it would have been too unbearable to keep bottled up, that's all.
"Like another woman?" Her heart sank instantly as her hands fell to the counter.
"No, not necessarily another woman," she clarified immediately, which was a sigh of relief on Stevie's behalf. "But maybe a friend? Or... maybe he's going to speak to a doctor, himself?" she shrugged, not exactly certain that either sounded anything like something Lindsey would partake in... The whole asking for help thing didn't fit his style.
She thought about it for a second and then, almost totally certain of herself, Stevie shook her head. "Lindsey would never, ever do that to me." She raised an eyebrow as she pursed her lips to one side. "He wouldn't go behind my back like that, not after what we've been through together." When she said those words, she truly believed them.
She believed that her husband would never turn to someone else... He would come to her first- the woman who had been there through all the pain, and the heartache.
After all, she was the only other person in the whole world that knew exactly how he was feeling.
~~~
Tossing his keys on the accent table in the foyer, Lindsey slipped out of his shoes as his eyes scanned over the stack of mail.
"Daddy!" Clancy's little voice echoed through the room only moments after he'd closed the front door.
With a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Lindsey bent down to be level with his youngest child. "Hi, princess." He picked her up in one swoop, still holding the mail in one hand as he carried her through the room. "Did you have a good day?" He wondered.
She nodded her head as a big grin trailed across her face. "Mommy helped me with my writing and now we're making dinner." She stated.
"You mean Miss Carrie." He half chuckled, almost certain that she'd gotten the two confused for a moment.
Creasing a brow, Clancy shook her head. "No, I mean mommy." She repeated in an unenthusiastic tone.
"Oh?" He was a little shocked to hear that, it was pretty obvious. "Mommy's been helping you with your homework?" He asked, smiling softly when she nodded her head. "She's a good mommy." Lindsey didn't say that sort of stuff very often, even though he really, truly knew that she was.
She was a great woman- a great mother, but she struggled sometimes... almost everyone does at one point or another.
"Why don't you go tell Lola and Crew that their report cards came in the mail?" He carefully sat her back down on the floor. "Tell them, they have fifteen minutes to start coming up with excuses." He teased, which made her giggle instantly.
"I'll let them know, daddy." She turned on her heel, almost slipping on the hardwood floor as she hurried up the stairs to find her older siblings.
Lindsey waited until he could hear the pitter patter of little feet running down the hallway before he finally pushed himself up to stand.
He followed the sound of light humming all the way to the kitchen, where his wife was trailing around the room... making dinner.
She was dressed- out of her pajamas, that was. She was wearing a sheer blouse, a flowing skirt and her hair was pulled up in a clip.
She was beautiful, but chaotic at the same time.
"It smells good." His voice caused her to flinch. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
Holding up her hand, she silenced him. "You're fine." She assured, forcing a smile. "I just wasn't expecting you home so early." She added, eyes roaming towards the clock on the wall.
With a soft shrug, he lingered in the doorway for minute, watching her. "I'm gonna go work on a song, so..." he held out his hand, motioning around aimlessly. "I'll be there, if you need anything." He added.
"Lindsey?" she caught him right as he was heading back out of the room. "Dinner will be done in twenty minutes and then we're all going to sit at the table... together." she nodded her head lightly, trying to be as serious as possible.
"Oh..." He couldn't hide how stunned he was to hear her say that. It had been years since they'd eaten dinner at the same table. "I'll see you in twenty minutes then."
